A conventional covering means for a battery compartment usually includes a cover and sliding rails onto which the cover is forcely fitted. A user trying to open the battery compartment cover might very possibly injure his fingers. As a result, the American UL standards require that a battery compartment cover must be so designed that it can be opened only with a certain tool instead of the user's finger to prevent any possible injury to the finger during opening of the battery compartment cover. Battery compartment covers having a structure which allows the cover to be opened only by a certain tool were largely developed in response to this requirement. For example, most battery compartment covers are now designed to engage with the battery compartment by means of screws and therefore must be removed from the battery compartment by means of at least a screwdriver. This is obviously inconvenient and time-consuming. The small screws that are usually used to fasten the battery compartment covers may drop out and are not easily located again. Or, a small-size screwdriver is not always available when the battery compartment cover is occasionally opened. Moreover, the fine threads on the cover as well as on the screws are easily broken during the closing or opening operation of the battery compartment cover. It is therefore desirable to develop a latch means for the battery compartment cover which is simple in structure, economical in cost, effective in performance, and safe in use, while meeting the requirement of American UL standards for opening only by a certain tool instead of by the fingers.